The script of the first Test almost repeated itself in the second as England found themselves four down early once again before Harry Brook pulled them out of the bog against New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test in Wellington. Brook smashed his eighth Test hundred as he and Ollie Pope came to the visitors’ rescue yet again but thankfully there weren’t as many drops catches from New Zealand as they had in Christchurch after England found themselves 43/4.
Matt Henry and Nathan Smith ran through the English top order early-on after Zak Crawley had begun the innings with a bang. Ben Duckett was dismissed for a duck in the fourth over of the innings but Crawley already had his name written in the history books after he smashed a six off Tim Southee in the first over of the Test match.
Crawley began the innings with a couple of twos before playing three dot balls. But the right-hander ended the over on a high with a six over long-off against Tim Southee, making his and England’s intentions very clear on a green pitch that looked like it would assist the seam bowlers. Crawley became only the second batter in Test cricket history to hit a six in the first over of a match after Chris Gayle, who hit a couple of sixes off Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi in 2014.
However, Crawley didn’t stick to the crease for much longer as he was cleaned up by Henry for 17 off 26. Henry had two wickets early to his name before Nathan Smith in his second Test match, sent back Jacob Bethell and Joe Root in quick succession to leave England tottering.
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Brook and Pope then stitched a 174-run partnership for the fifth wicket to stage a staggering comeback before New Zealand picked three wickets in a span of 40 runs as the game ebbed and flowed between the two teams.
